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The Secret of Cold Hill

Peter James
Contents ( 89)
  1. The Secret of Cold Hill
  2. Table of Contents
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
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  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
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  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. 54
  57. 55
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  60. 58
  61. 59
  62. 60
  63. 61
  64. 62
  65. 63
  66. 64
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  68. 66
  69. 67
  70. 68
  71. 69
  72. 70
  73. 71
  74. 72
  75. 73
  76. 74
  77. 75
  78. 76
  79. 77
  80. 78
  81. 79
  82. 80
  83. 81
  84. 82
  85. 83
  86. 84
  87. Acknowledgments
  88. About the Author
  89. The Cold Hill Ghost Stories
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The Secret of Cold Hill

Table of Contents

The Secret of Cold Hill by Peter James

FOR ISOBEL DIXON,

MY WONDERFUL AGENT

1

Saturday 20 October

‘There are, of course, no skeletons in this attic!’ the estate agent said with a wink, as she threw open the door with a flourish and ushered her clients into the loft space.

‘Wow!’ said Mike Diamond.

‘Wow!’ his wife Julie echoed.

‘It sure has the wow factor, wouldn’t you say, Mr and Mrs Diamond?’

‘It sure has,’ Mike replied.

And it sure did.

The young couple stared around in wonder as they entered the high-ceilinged room. Painted all in white, it covered almost the entire top-floor area of the brand-new house, and was flooded with light from gable windows at each end. The view to the north was across the long, newly turfed garden ending at the lake, the fields and the hill that rose beyond, and to the south across the partially completed housing estate and down to the village of Cold Hill, half a mile below them. There was a rich smell of fresh paint and timber.

‘I can tell you, this is a far superior property to the show house, which was sold in the first hour it was on sale. Far superior.’ The agent pointed out the four Sonos speakers and the voice-activated electric blinds, then showed them the equally teched-up en suite bathroom. ‘This would make a great master bedroom, or an office,’ she enthused. ‘It’s rare to find a room so well equipped, even in a modern home, you’d have to agree.’

Mike and Julie looked at each other. He pulled a face and his wife grinned at the signal. This estate agent was already irritating them, and they’d only been in the house for a few minutes. An elegant woman in her thirties, with short, dark hair, power-dressed in a black suit, white blouse and court shoes, she marched in front of them, brandishing the particulars as if she was about to present them with a certificate. Future Owners Extraordinaire of Lake House, No. 47 Lakeview Drive!

They followed her back down the spiral staircase to the first floor and along a short landing, where she opened another door with an equal flourish, onto a small bedroom. ‘This will make a great room for your baby,’ she said.

Again, the couple shot another secret glance at each other. Mike frowning and Julie frowning back a What? Her pregnancy had only been confirmed yesterday by their doctor, and there was no possible way it could be showing yet.

They followed the agent into two further small bedrooms – perfect spare rooms for guests, she enthused, or maybe one of them a den? Then into the master bedroom. ‘You’d have to admit, this is pretty much a wow room, too!’ She strode confidently across it, unlocked French windows and opened them onto a wide Juliet balcony.